One of the key criteria for almost any new technological to reach your goals is that it needs to be an easy task to learn, with immediate benefits. Cellphones are not new technology. Smartphones are designed to be intuitive and do not require special training to use.

What may require some hand holding is the use of software that will enable your teachers to supply customized content to student cellular devices. While these are designed to be easy to use, as with any new software you will have a small learning period when teachers will become more acquainted with the software features. Internet browsing and basic formatting skills are essential, but they are not important to be able to offer mobile finding out how to students.

If your teachers already are browsing the net, emailing and creating documents and presentations without difficulty, they will have no trouble changing to mobile learning applications.

Will students utilize it to cheat?

After all. Some students will always try and cheat. Whether it be crib notes, or old-fashioned copying, cheating does occur. Mobile learning enables students to utilize their studying time effectively by providing bite-sized chunks of material in a fashion that can be easily reviewed. This doesn’t facilitate cheating.

While there is evidence that mobiles are being increasingly used by students to cheat, implementing m-learning pedagogies won’t necessarily raise the amount of cheaters.

To overcome cheating issues, many schools and academic institutions prohibit students from bringing mobile phones into the exam hall, or anyway have them switched off. Warnings and penalties can deter cheaters, but vigilance during examinations for all types of cheating including cell phone usage will just need to continue.

Will learning material should be reformatted?

Most mobile phones are appropriate for standard text, music and video formats currently available. If reformatting is required it could usually be to standardize your formats and may probably be done on your own computer.

Based on your material, how you package your site content for mobile phone delivery is up to you. Sometimes it is often as easy as recording a lecture or copy-pasting a laboratory process. The main advantage of mobile learning would be that the small screen let’s you look only to the important points that must be reviewed. For multiple choice exam preparation like the SATs, you can use m-learning software like Mobl21, which allow you to create quizzes and vocabulary flashcards easily, and supports popular file formats add media like video and audio.

Isn’t this just a high-tech package for the same old dull and boring content?

While current learning pedagogies are still trying to incorporate mobile learning methods, it can be definite that today’s students lean more towards active discovery rather than age-old passive absorption. And mobile learning is centered on providing interactivity in mastering.

If the goal is education, content can’t be “dull and boring”. Learning and learning material has to be dynamic for it to be assimilated through the information-overloaded students of today.

Flashcards, quizzes, podcasts, videos, historical speeches, graphic timelines, real-time global collaboration, satellite maps… a complete interactive encyclopedia of information comes in a few clicks. Making use of it effectively just requires some creative application.

Why don’t you consider the digital divide? Not every student is tech savvy.

Even though it is valid that some students still need no access to technology, what’s also true is the fact that mobile technology is now globally available and pervading every factor of our lives.

In the 2009 Parent-Teen Cell Phone Survey, conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International, 75% of 12-17-year-olds now own cell phones (up from 45% in 2004).

Implementation of m-learning methods at the outset of schools is also an ideal way to overcome this digital gap. Classrooms provide the ideal equal learning ground, with students capable of mimic peers and quickly learn from each other. Mobile learning will likely enable students to exchange data, find information and collaborate, all vital skills for today’s wired world.

The way I measure learning effectiveness?

Much the same way you do today. Seek advice on lessons which were revised, have students write papers and assign projects which require subject understanding being completed.

Additionally choose mobile learning applications that let you create content that you simply know will be of worth to your students. Some applications, like Mobl21 provide the flexibility to create notes and flashcards and in many cases monitor which learning material your students will work on.

While new technologies are always exciting, creating the habit of using the cell phone for learning, requires effort and persistence for both the teacher and the student.